Crash Wreckage Catches Fire On I-15

MURRIETA, CA — A burned-out passenger van that had been involved in a deadly crash Sunday evening caught fire again as a tow truck driver hauled it away, prompting the temporary closure of some freeway lanes, the CHP reports. The fiery ordeal happened about 2.5 hours after — and five miles away — from the original crash when the vehicle became fully involved in flames on northbound Interstate 15 near Scott Road.

California Highway Patrol logs indicate the once-red van was on a tow truck when the second fire was reported at 8:15 p.m. Despite the fire, which apparently started in the engine compartment and spread throughout, the truck driver was able to offload the vehicle.

Fire crews responded to the freeway, blocking the two rightmost lanes for about an hour while the blaze was fully extinguished.

At 5:43 p.m. the same van was involved in a fatal collision, catching fire.

SEE PREVIOUS: Fiery, Deadly Crash Reported Off Winchester Road [UPDATED]

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Photos by Joe Fanaselle